Syria requests transfer of Bashar al-Assad and associates

Syria’s justice minister, Mazhar al-Wais, announced the government’s demand for the handover of former President Bashar al-Assad as part of a transitional justice process. A general amnesty decree issued by President Ahmad al-Sharaa aims to release up to 500,000 Syrians, though it excludes those guilty of serious crimes. Wais emphasized the need for accountability, asserting that trials for former regime officials will commence once evidence is gathered. Assad, who fled to Russia in late 2024, had ruled for nearly 25 years before the establishment of a new transitional administration.

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